In the lands of the coffee, from the book, Searching for treasures
Viedma, Río Negro, Argentina
“OK, nos with muy shoes that look like new, and its owner that seems as old as always, it’s time to follow the hotel owner’s advice. Time to hit the road! He talked about a cool walkabout that’s only a couple of hours long. I think I can do it and maybe three because surely Victor Hugo walks faster than I do. Besides, if I like the countryside and can stop here and there to admire the view. Who knows? I might even take a let’s draw ourselves a landscape sort of a break! And frankly, what’s the hurry, anyhow? Today I have a whole day ahead to enjoy the coffee zone. No reason to rush things and not take them as they come!” This monologue he sustained with himself playfully, thrilled with the idea of spending his first day in the town of Marsella. “To tell the truth, if this turns out to be as good as that breakfast… I got a good day in the works!” Without more, he began to walk, going through the town in the indicated direction until he reached its outskirts. There he started out on his hike.
The day did turn out to be a long one. He kept on hiking until he reached the state line with Caldas, the neighboring state, after around seven kilometers of dazzling green, coffee land views. The road led him to a small city with a long and plentiful history. The city’s name was Chinchiná. The day was spectacular and bathed in sunlight. For that reason, on various occasions, the hiker looked for shady places to stop and rest, but also, enjoy the quiet views on his way. He was overjoyed with the lush landscapes where the coffee plants were idly growing as they basked in the sun. Three hours later, he had reached Caldas and felt good with himself.
At one point, during his excursion, he left the road and found a dense grove of guadua-bamboo growth. There he spent quite a long time resting. Quietly he contemplated the coffee plantation in front of him, to the side of a small creek with crystal-clear. The modest river was called the San Francisco River, and the spot he had chosen was as fresh as it was comfortable. After a while, he finished a drawing of the site and slowly found his way back to the road.